To some, it's a toy -- to others, it's a piece of serious sporting equipment. Either way, the Frisbee as we know it was introduced on this date in 1957, giving people of all ages, along with some talented dogs, an excuse for hours of fun. The name is thought to have come from the Frisbee [sic: Frisbie] Baking Company, which baked pies for colleges in New England for many years. Students soon discovered the empty pie tins could be sailed through the air. In 1948, Walter Morrison invented a plastic version, which he called the "pluto platter," to cash in on the UFO craze. Today, the Frisbee is an established part of the inventory of the nation's nearly 22,000 sporting goods stores, which ring up sales of more than $34 billion annually.

Profile America is in its 14th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 7585. U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder, NAICS 45111, Table 1